Star Wars : Herald of Darkness
by TheUnforgivenO1
Summary: Revised,Re-edited,and Re-set.A few changes to the original story.Set during the Old Republic. To those that read the original chapter,I think I've done a bit better.Please review.*No matter how many times I try to fix it,fanficnet insists on the spacing.
1. Chapter 1

Star Wars

Herald of Darkness

**Chapter 1**

Rising in fear never before felt,the bounty hunter looked behind him as he began to run. It didn't matter where, so long as it was in the opposite direction of the merciless monster behind him. What he saw over his shoulder made him run faster, blindly fleeing this promise of death. He

suddenly stopped, not of his own free will, but by something much more powerful. He had never been paralyzed like this before! He couldn't move, couldn't turn his head to see the man approach him from behind. The man came around in front of him,revealing his face from under his black

hood. His face was white deathly white. A day or two of facial hair stubbled this human's face. Dark circles appeared around his sunken eyes, as if the man rarely slept. All of this the bounty hunter noticed in a glance, but none of these features were what held him transfixed with terror. He

had heard stories before, of the archenemies of the Jedi, but he never believed he would meet one in person. Face to face with a Sith. In a calm, cold voice, the Sith spoke. "You have seen too much of what has transpired here tonight. You and I both know I cannot allow you to live. Tell me

before you die,where is it hidden?" The bounty hunter trembled in fear. "I don't know what you are talking about! Look,let me live, and I can get you as many credits as you want! I will make you rich and powerful..."

"I already am powerful you weak, snivelling fool! Tell me now!" The bounty hunter started to breathe quickly, thinking of some way to save his life. "Look, I don't have what you want,and I don't know where whatever it is you're talking about is hidden, but if you let me live, I'm sure I

can find it." The Sith stared at him for just a second and replied, "You are no help to me,and never will be. Your life ends now." The bounty hunter started to cry out when he suddenly heard that legendary and dreaded sound, the _snap-hiss _of a lightsaber. The last thing the bounty hunter

saw was the black arc of pure energy, and then he saw nothing at all.

The Sith let the headless body of the bounty hunter out of his grip of the force, and walked back to his ship. Once inside, he went into his communications cubicle and hit the transmit code. The image of his master appeared. "Yes my apprentice? Is it finished?" "It is, my master. The

small group of bounty hunters here knew nothing of what we search for. And for their impudence and ignorance, I punished them all, mercilessly, as you taught me. None are now living to tell of our return."

"Good. You know what comes next. You also know how important your missions are. Do not fail, and do not let any live to know of our return. Not yet. Soon we will strike the heart of the Republic, Coruscant is our target." The Sith apprentice looked at the holoimage, barely able to contain

his eagerness. "Will I be joining the battle?" The Sith Lord smirked at the eagerness of his apprentice. "I am truly sorry, Nalyd, but you are needed elsewhere. Continue searching and do not contact me again until you have relevent information." Nalyd frowned, obviously disappointed, but

not about to cross his master. "Yes my master." The hologram faded and the young sith lord was alone with his thoughts. _Where do I look next?_ he wondered. Leaving the cubicle, he entered the cockpit and sat down in the pilots seat. He then used the Force to feel the next best location to

continue his search. He felt a slight ripple in the Force as he scanned Yavin Four. _What could possibly be on Yavin...ah of course. The ancient temples. And it seems there is a small group of Jedi there as well. Probably there for training. This could be fun.. _If that is where he must travel next, then so

be it. He nodded to himself. He was positive he could conceal himself with the Force. Powering up his sub-light engines, he left the underground caverns that the bounty hunters used as a headquarters, and made a trajectory straight for the moon of Yavin. Setting the course in his

navicomputer, he went into hyperspeed, set the ship on autopilot, and fell into a deep trance, meditating over what he had done,what he was doing,and what he intended to do.

"Kiana, you are doing very well my young padawan. Your stance is almost perfect, and you fight with a grace not known to many others at the academy. But you are overdoing it. You are getting caught up in the moment, and not noticing what is going on around you. You must relax

and let the force flow through you. Don't think about the fight, feel it. Sense what will happen, and then take the proper course of action." Kiana sighed, turned off her lightsaber, and took out a canteen of water they had brought along. "Yes Master Dranyam. Master Dranyam, do you know

what the dark side is like?" Jedi Master Samoht Dranyam, a good natured and well liked Jedi Master, sat for a moment, thinking. The jungles on Yavin 4 were beautiful, massive, and deadly to any who wander too deeply without protection. The day had just reached its peak, the sun directly

overhead, with the large red planet visible in the sky. The two had been training since early morning, and they were covered in sweat, long ago having

abandoned their heavy brown cloaks. The man's curly brown hair clung to his head, and he ran the back of his arm across his forehead, removing beads of sweat. He took a drink of his water. "Kiana, I don't know what the dark side is like personally. I have never fallen to the dark side, and I

hope I never do. The dark side is the more seductive, and once you have fallen, forever will you walk that path."

"Master? Why is marriage forbidden to the Jedi?" The Jedi Master sat for long moments, staring out at the jungle. His face was troubled Kiana could see, but she could not determine the reason why. Finally, Samoht turned to Kiana and spoke. "The Jedi are forbidden to marry because in

most cases, marriage has such strong emotions attached to it. Lust, fear, anger, possessiveness. These are all things that are possible in marriage. Such emotions can lead to the dark side, so the Jedi decided that the best way to stay away from these temptations were to simply stay away

from them." Kiana nodded, and the two were silent for long moments, the Jedi Master taking small sips of his water, the apprentice taking large gulps. "Kiana, ration your water. Don't drink so quickly." After a small pause, Samoht turned to his apprentice. "Kiana, you asked me about the dark

side earlier. I feel it has some significance to you. Why did you ask about the dark side?" Kiana looked at Samoht and said,"I've been having dreams. Dreams of a man in black, wielding a black lightsaber. I've never heard of a black lightsaber before Master Dranyam, have you? He was..very

terrifying and yet...beautiful? I'm not sure how to describe it. In the dream the sky is dark, stormy, but there is no rain. The man is standing on a cliff and he looks at me. In his eyes I see...pain. He then raises his hand towards me,as if offering to pull me up gently beside him, and that's when

I wake up." She sat there waiting for an answer as Samoht stared into the jungle, thinking.

"Kiana, my pupil, that is the strangest thing I have ever heard. The man you described sounded like a Sith, but that's impossible because, as everyone knows, the Sith were defeated and banished to the Outer Rim... it sounds like something you should pay close attention to. Have you

mentioned this dream to the Jedi Council? I'm sure they would be able to provide you with a more informative answer than I ever could." Kiana sighed and turned back towards the jungle.

"Would you like to head back to camp my young padawan?" Kiana nodded and they both stood up and made their way through the jungles back to their temporary camp.

The Sith pulled back the levers as his hyperdrive timer counted to the correct number. Coming out of his medidative state as he neared the moon of Yavin 4, the Sith flipped the switch on his cloaking device, concealing his ship from any and all conventional tracking devices. The Sith

grinned confidently as he cloaked himself in the Force, reveling in the power he felt flowing through him. Sensing the presence of the force towards the north, he directed his ship in that direction and headed straight towards the ancient temples, scanning the thick, green forests for a clearing

large enough for his ship yet small enough to somewhat conceal his presence.

Kiana walked down the well worn path she often traveled. As she walked, she pondered the meaning of the dream she had been having. This was the sixth day in arow she had had that dream, where as before she would have the dream every few weeks or so. She was curious when

she realized she was having the dream more frequently. Now she was just wary. Who was the man in her dream? The look in his hate filled eyes…also filled with a deep pain? Kiana shook her head as she walked toward her favorite clearing. She came to the clearing often to meditate and to

practice her ways of the Force. Coming to the end of the path, she took a step into the clearing. As her foot left the thick foliage of the

forest she looked up and froze in her tracks.

Hacking and slashing at the overhanging vines threatening to throw him off his course, the Sith continued forward, using his lightsaber to clear his path. As he slowly progressed, he cursed to himself. He hated the this planet. He hated the sun bearing down on him, soaking into his

black cloak and locking in the heat, making him sweat profusely. He hated the Jedi and their ignorant and idiotic teachings. "And most of all, I hate these infernal vines! These damnable plants! I hate them with a passion!" he said this out loud as he worked himself into a fury,

hacking and slashing wildly at the lush plant life around him. Coming to a break in the trees, he stopped abruptly. Instantly calmed, he grinned to himself and left the forest, stepping into the cool,calm shadows of an extremely large pyramid looking ruin. Despite the heat, the Sith pulled his

hood low over his head and continued toward the ruins, entering the ancient looking pyramid.

Kiana stepped into the clearing and froze in her tracks. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. In the center of the clearing was a large, sleek, dark grey starship. The loading ramp was down and touching the ground. _Obviously the owner of this ship didn't have much of value or they _

_just didn't __care_, thought Kiana to herself. She had seen starships before, but none as darkly beautiful as the one in the clearing before her. Feeling for any signs of life using the Force, she felt no one near her. Cautiously she stepped out of the shadows and towards the starship, ignoring

reason and choosing curiosity. Master Dranyam had warned her of such emotions, but Kiana conveniently forgot those lessons right at the moment. Stepping onto the ramp, she stopped, trying to sense whether there were any traps set. Kiana was curious, but not stupid. Far from it. She

was one of the brightest students in the academy, barely above her younger sister, Eriam. As a feeling of doubt crossed her, she quickly put Eiram out of her mind. It was her unofficial mission, she decided, to investigate this strange ship. Looking around inside the ship,she saw so many

buttons and controls she was lost in awe. Never in her life had she ever seen a ship as sophisticated as this. Kiana was not the best of pilots at the academy, something she greatly needed improvement on. This was one of the few subjects her younger sister actually excelled at. Eiram was

the best pilot at the academy, next to the masters. Though trained extensively in many types of craft, Kiana realized immediately that this was one of the most complicated ships that had ever been created. At that moment something about the ship struck her as a few moments

to figure out what she was missing, she stopped as the thought came to her. There were no labels on any of the controls! No labels, no symbols telling what any of the buttons or controls did. Nothing at all! This immediately told her that the pilot of this starship had gone through extreme

training to memorize everything about the ship. As this though passed through her mind, Kiana realized that if this person was trained extensively in piloting, that may not be all they were trained in. With this thought going through her mind, Kiana realized her error. She quickly made her

way towards the back of the starship and towards the exit.

The Sith was angry. Angry and frustrated. Stomping through his previously created path, he was returning to his starship. He was angry at what he had found. What he had found! He thought to himself sarcastically. He didn't find a damn thing! All he found was dust and broken

pillars of an unknown rock. _Probably native only to this planet_ he thought to himself irritably. He turned suddenly, pulling out and activating his lightsaber, he sliced easily through a large tree he was standing next to,and returned his lightsaber to his hip. Had anyone been watching,

they would have thought the tree had started to fall of its own accord, except for the quick _snap-hiss _of a lightsaber being ignited. His frustration played out fully on the tree, he calmed immediately and realized his folly. Looking up quickly, he scrambled and dove forward, barely dodging the

tree that had unsuccessfully tried to take its revenge by crushing him to death on its fall to the ground. Standing up quickly, the Sith glared at the tree then stood completely still. A slow, evil grin worked its way onto his face as he felt the slight ripple in the Force. "So. I have company. And a

Jedi no less. This will be easy prey." Talking to himself, he quickened his pace towards his starship. "I may yet get the information I seek." Laughing to himself, he moved through the trees, no longer blundering through the forest, but becoming one with the shadows.

Kiana quickly moved down the ramp, coming to the clearing. As she stepped onto the thick, green grass, she looked up, and stood stock still. Her breath caught in her throat, but she managed to croak out one word. "You!" The Sith looked at her and grinned. He hadn't a clue as to what

she meant when she said that, but he thought,_ what the hell, I'll play along for now_. Keeping his grin he replied, "Yes. Me." Taking a few steps closer, the man took in the young woman he saw before him. He noted her thick red hair falling in waves past her shoulders. He could tell at a glance

that the woman was strong, physically and with the Force. But what caught his eye the most were her piercing, intensely bright green eyes. He grinned at his weakness and put such thoughts aside as she made to speak. "Who are you?" The man cocked his head slightly at her ignorant

question. Obviously the Jedi now days didn't study the Sith that much. "You will not be alive long enough to remember my name. Unless…" He turned his head towards the side of the clearing, watching her out of the corner of his eyes. "I require information. There are two ways I can get it.

The first option you can cooperate, tell me what I want to know, and then you can come with me as my slave. Or I can torture you mercilessly until you will gladly tell me what I want to know, and then I kill you slowly. Which do you choose?" Turning to look her fully in the face, he honestly

hoped she would choose the first option. It would be such a waste if he had to utterly destroy her. He grinned to himself. So be it. If it is what he has to do to complete his mission, he will do it willingly. Kiana looked at the man before her. This man was cloaked in evil, she understood that

immediately. She looked at his deathly white pallor, at his slightly sunken eyes with dark circles under them indicating lack of sleep. Though he was short, she realized he had quite a muscular body underneath the dark folds of his black robes. His dark brown hair was cut short, and he looked

to have a shadow of a beard. Kiana thought this man undeniably attractive, except for his eyes. Red around the outside, yellow around a black pupil, those eyes seemed they could bore right through to her soul. This was him. This was the man from her dreams. Not the man OF her dreams,

she had to quickly remind herself. Wiping away sweat that had only a little to do with the heat of the day, she straightened her shoulders and raised her head. "I will not give information without getting information in return." Finding confidence in her own intelligence, she decided she would

die before she backed down. The man looked at her and grinned. _Clever_ he thought to himself. "Very well Miss Jedi. What is it you would like to know?" Without hesitation she replied, "I want to know your name." At this the man laughed. "Persistent are we? I am Darth Nalyd. And who might

you be?" Kiana raised her head proudly. "I am Kiana Silverstar. I am apprentice to Master Samoht Dranyam of the Jedi Order." Thinking her answer sufficient, she was taken aback at his lack of interest. "I didn't intend for you to tell me your entire life story, but that will do. So Samoht

Dranyam, son of Telesen and Jenyo Dranyam, is your master? Very interesting. I may yet get the information I seek. Well there is one thing we have in common. We are both apprentices, though I am positive my training is much more proficient than yours. How old are you anyways?

Eighteen? Nineteen? Well?" Raising her head once more, Kiana replied, "I am twenty one years of age. What does that have to do with anything?" She looked at Darth Nalyd curiously as he started to laugh. "What a coincidence! I too am twenty one. Interesting wouldn't you say?" Kiana

shook her head slowly. "Not particularly…" The man suddenly stopped grinning. She gazed at a face that had become as stone. "I tire of this Miss Kiana. Let me get straight to the point. What are the coordinates?" Kiana furrowed her brow in genuine confusion as she answered, "What

coordinates? What are you talking about?" The man exploded. "The Coordinates! You impudent girl! I seek the coordinates!" As the man trembled in barely contained rage, Kiana took a step back. "I have no idea…" Darth Nalyd cut her off in mid-sentence. He was no longer trembling. He was

calm so quickly Kiana wondered if she had imagined his previous outburst. He interrupted coldly, "You didn't answer me earlier. Option one or two? Which do you choose? Remember if you choose option two, I will show no mercy." Realizing that she could not let him have her in any way, she

grabbed her lightsaber and activated it with the _snap-hiss _of pure blue energy. Lightsaber in hand, Kiana felt immediately calmer. Falling into herself, she let the Force flow through her, guiding her actions. Darth Nalyd calmly drew out his lightsaber and activated each of the powerful, black

blades with a loud _snap-hiss._ He quietly told her, with a hint of sadness in his voice?, "It seems you have opted for choice number two." She started to get into her stance when abruptly he was on her, lightsaber leading with a powerful thrust to her stomach. Caught off guard, she barely

managed to block his black lightsaber. His black robes swirling around him, Nalyd sidestepped Kiana, tapping her blue blade with his black, then spun with a slash to her back with the other blade of his black lightsaber. This time, Kiana was ready and she easily blocked the blade, her arms

over her head and her lightsaber close to her back, parallel with her body. They settled into a few of the basic routines Kiana had memorized perfectly. This man was an amateur at best! The man grinned to himself as he watched her wield her blade. He had never seen such grace! Having

got a feel of her fighting techniques, Nalyd decided to fight for real. Picking up the pace, he started to move in a blur to Kiana. Suddenly she wasn't so sure of herself. Then it hit her. _He was just sizing me up! He was trying to see my technique_. She knew she was in trouble.

This man was definitely trained in the Jedi arts. But such raw power! He was gaining momentum as she was losing it. She knew if she didn't do something quickly, she would be dead very soon. Kiana did all she could just to fend off this crazed fighter. As she quickly blocked both of his

attacking blades, she saw an opening and she swung. He wasn't there. Throwing herself forward into a roll, she landed on her back. She knew it was the end. She saw the black arc falling towards her neck.

She closed her eyes, then she heard two things at once. She heard Nalyd curse as she heard the static of two lightsabers locked together. Kiana quickly opened her eyes and saw a welcome sight. She looked at the wielder of dual pink lightsabers and quickly rolled to her feet. "Eiram!

You have no idea how glad I am to see you." Eiram looked at her older sister and grinned innocently. "I would have hoped you were glad to see me every time you saw me!" Kiana grinned and looked at Darth Nalyd who had taken a few steps back, re-evaluating the situation. Grinning, he

thought to himself. _So Kiana has a sister. Interesting. This one I feel though, is much less likely to turn…she too would be a valuable slave._ Speaking to the newcomer, "So, Eiram is it? Would you be willing to become my slave and give me the information I need? Or will you, too, die with your

sister?" Eiram replied proudly, " I am a Jedi! You will get nothing from me." Darth Nalyd grinned. "Very well. You too shall die." With a quick twist of his wrists, Darth Nalyd twisted the handle of his double-bladed lightsaber and laughed as they broke apart. Now wielding dual lightsabers, he

quickly thrust both blades towards the Jedi. Quickly thrusting off her cloak, Eiram dazzled Nalyd's eyes as he noticed she kept herself in peak physical condition. He also noticed she had very deadly speed using her dual blades. Picking off both attacks easily from the dual pink lightsabers,

Nalyd used his other hand in a thrust-thrust-slash, each being cleanly parried by a bright blue beam of energy. After a series of difficult attacks, Nalyd realized he could not defeat these two together. They had obviously trained with each other and knew how to compliment one anothers

fighting style.

Building up his rage and anger, he let it all out in an explosive burst, breaking through the Jedi's defenses and thrusting his blade deep into each girls shoulder. The Jedi, sensing their moment, used the Force to guide their movements as Kiana's blue blade tore open Nalyd's side and

Eiram's pink blade cleanly burned a hole through his chest. Clutching their wounds, Kiana and Eiram backed away from the dying Darth Nalyd and stood up. Neither girl noticed the small movement of Nalyd's hand. He was dying and he knew it. If only he could make the last gesture… there. A

small droid quickly floated out of his starship, hooked into his dark robes, and dragged him into the ship. The loading ramp lifted from the ground and sealed the ship, becoming part of its hull. The thrusters flared to life and the starship lifted from the ground and rose out of the planet's

atmosphere.

The two Jedi watched as the Sith starship became a tiny speck in the sky, until neither could see it. Without a word, the two sisters turned towards the academy, and with each others help,made their way down the path to their home.


	2. Chapter 2

"Stop! You don't know what you're saying! Listen to yourself Kiana!" Not looking up, Kiana continued to pack. "I know perfectly well what I'm saying. And if you want to get technical, Eiram, I'm not really saying much of anything. I'm packing. Do you consider that speaking? I thought not." Kiana replied to her sister's constant lecturing. "Kiana. That's exactly right. You aren't thinking. You are acting on impulse. On your emotions. On your pride. Its exactly what the Order has been trying to teach us not to do! To overcome those primal urges. This is a sure path towards the Dark Side Kiana. You must realize this. You must not go!"

"Eiram. Listen to me. I am not going to follow in our mother's footsteps. I will not become a servant of the Dark Side. And besides, I'm the older sister, not you. I should be looking out for you!" The two sisters laughed a tense giggle at this. Reaching over and gently grabbing Eiram's shoulders in both of her smooth, delicate hands, Kiana looked Eiram directly into her crystal blue eyes. "Listen to me Eiram. I have to do this. You don't understand, not yet at least. It's a part of my destiny. I can feel it. And besides, it isn't like you'll never speak to me again. I'm going to keep in touch very often." Eiram looked uncertainly at Kiana, which is how she had looked at Kiana ever since their encounter with the evil Sith. Glancing around the common quarters of all Jedi students, Eiram realized how very lonely she was going to feel without her big sister around. The Jedi student quarters were bare, with only the essentials needed to live. The only items the Jedi possess were their Jedi robes, night clothes, undergarments, and of course their lightsabers. All of this was held in a locker at the foot of their beds, making the room seem bare and cold. Eiram was definitely going to miss her sister, but she knew once Kiana got an idea in her head, it was easier to smack a rancor and escape than to dissuade Kiana. "Are you still going to keep silent, Kiana? About what happened I mean." Kiana glanced up and stopped packing. "Yes. The masters would understand. If I succeed, they might even grant me the title of Jedi Knight! I just don't want any of them to worry. I can take care of myself." Kiana bent down and continued packing. Eiram rolled her eyes and quietly mumbled to herself, " Yeah, that's why I had to come save your neck…" Clearing her throat, Eiram said more loudly, "So if you find this Sith, what are you going to do if you two battle again? You know he was much more powerful than you. He was more powerful than us put together. We were lucky to have wounded him like we did." Kiana stood up quickly from her packing. "There is no luck. There is only the Force. We were meant to defeat him. And you brought up a good point. We severely wounded him. He cant possibly be as powerful as he was." Eiram looked at her sister with a worried expression. "And there's nothing I can do to change your mind?" Kiana finished her packing and stood up. Grinning at her little sister, she said gently but firmly, "Nope. Nothing." Eiram sighed as Kiana walked over and gave her little sister a big hug and kiss on the forehead. "Don't worry. I'll come home soon." Without another word, Kiana walked out of her room, down the deserted hallways, and out into the clear night.

"How long has it been, my apprentice?" The Sith master looked upon his apprentice with a mixture of condescension and pride. The Sith apprentice looked at the black marble floor with its thin wisps of silver streaking through it. His knee hurt painfully, having been kneeling before his master for three long hours. He ignored the pain. His only thought was to please his master, the embodiment of evil before him. He knew what it was to upset his master. The apprentice himself conducted some of the tortures his master created. The Sith Lord said a bit more coldly, "How long, Lord Nalyd?" The Sith apprentice kept calm and his voice even. "Two years, sixty seven days, seven hours, thirty four minutes, and twenty one seconds." The Sith Master looked at his apprentice grimly. "I see you have not forgotten. It eats at your mind that you were so easily defeated by two young Jedi apprentices. Females at that! What is your excuse?" The Sith apprentice answered immediately. "There is no excuse, my lord." The Sith master grinned to himself. "As well there shouldn't be. The Jedi have still not learned of our return, which is a bit surprising, but works in our favor. Your mission has not changed. You have fully recovered, and are more powerful than ever before. It is time to continue your mission. Find me the coordinates. Also, I am granting you permission to choose and train a young Sith. Teach them well, for your teachings, and success, reflect my own. Now leave." The apprentice stood quickly, not showing his obvious pain, and bowed. "Yes, my master." Darth Nalyd turned on his heel and quietly walked from the large room. Angry at his own past weakness, the Sith made a fist, feeling strength and power in his finely honed, corded muscles. He could feel the Force brimming inside, wanting desperately to be unleashed on a helpless victim. His visage had changed over the past two years. His sunken eyes had filled out some, the dark circles around his eyes gone. His pallor hadn't changed, for he hadn't set foot under a sun since he had returned mortally wounded. All of his time he spent training. _Yes._ he thought to himself. _I am much more powerful than before. The Jedi will soon learn to fear the name Darth Nalyd_ _And then I will have my revenge on that ignorant girl._ He stalked through the dark hallways, being seen by no one. He passed by a room with its door open. A ripple in the Force made him pause. He stood in the doorway for a few moments watching the students train. Two of the students got into an argument over whether it was better to control the Force or to control a lightsaber. The students then began to fight, showing each other that they were right. As the student who preferred controlling the Force used his Choke Force on the other student, he in turn brought forth his lightsaber and sliced off the others hand. Both fell to the floor in shock, barely able to stay conscious after the previous wounds inflicted upon them. The Sith instructor just smiled at the two students, until glancing at the door, he quickly stood straight. " Lord Nalyd! What an unexpected surprise. Come to see the students progress?" Sweat began to form on the Sith instructors face as he looked at Darth Nalyd cautiously. The Sith apprentice just sneered at the instructor. "Actually I was not. Though my reasons need not concern you, instructor." The obvious sarcasm in Nalyds voice made the instructors eyes widen a bit in fear, then he collected himself. "Of course, my lord. I was only just curious. I wanted to show you what great progress we have made!" He held his palm upwards and made a sweeping gesture across the room. Darth Nalyd looked at the two students lying on the ground and said to the instructor with ice in his voice, "Send them to the medical droid. We don't need to lose any prospects. We will take what we can get, and if they are killing each other at such a low rank, we will never grow." Turning to the two students,he spoke in a superior voice. "You two. Both lightsaber and Force are equally important. Knowing how to expertly wield a lightsaber wouldn't mean a damn thing if your opponent is better than you. What happens if he slices your lightsaber in half?" He left the question unanswered and spoke to the other student. "And you. Your lightsaber is a useful tool. It is equal to your life. What would you do were you to be against an opponent without Force powers but excellent lightsaber proficiency? You would be dead. Get to the medical wing. Now." With that, both students quickly bowed and exited the chamber. Darth Nalyd looked at each student directly. Using the Force, he felt the strengths of each student. Two stood out among them. A you Miralukan male, and an orange skinned Twi-lek female. Point to each, he spoke in an emotionless tone of voice. "You two, come with me. Instructor, continue with your teaching."

"Yes, my lord." The Sith instructor bowed as Darth Nalyd left the room, the two students following closely behind. He didn't even notice the low bow. He could tell instantly the young man following him was nervous, afraid. The young woman though was calm, with a hint of stronger emotions bubbling beneath the surface. He had an idea which of the two would become his apprentice. He had to be sure though. Closing the door to the room, he continued to walk down the hallway, not speaking. _Let them worry themselves into a nervous mess, _he thought to himself. Finding an empty classroom, he opened the door and strode in. Turning, he waited for the young students.

The young man walked in first, pale and shaking slightly. On his heels walked the young woman, calm as stone. He smiled inwardly to himself, but his face remained impassive. Pointing at the young man, he spoke. "You. Miralukan. What is your name?" The young man stuttered for a moment before finally releasing his name. "It's Mountik, S-sir." Nalyd nodded, then looked at the woman. "And you?"

She looked directly into his eyes and spoke immediately. "Sairah." Nalyd nodded once more and closed his eyes. "Mountik, sit down. Sairah, step outside and close the door. Await my summons." Instantly she turned and strode through the door, leaving Mountik to hesitate before he eased himself onto the cold stone floor. The door closed and Nalyd opened his eyes. "Mountik. Do you know who I am?" Mountik nodded. "Yes my lord. You are Darth Nalyd, apprentice to the Dark Lord of the Sith himself."

"And do you know the Code of the Sith." Mountik brightened a little at this, and nodded a bit more emphatically. "Very well Mountik. Speak it." Mountik replied in a stronger voice. "Peace is a lie, there is only passion. Through passion, I gain strength. Through strength, I gain power. Through power I gain victory. Through victory my chains are broken." Nalyd waited for a moment longer before smirking. "Get up and take Sairah`s place. Send her in, close the door, then await my summons." Mountik clambered to his feet and made his way to the door, opening it and walking through. In the next instant, Sairah walked in, lekku swinging behind her as the door closed. "Kneel before me, Sairah." Instantly she went to her knees. It wasn`t as if she had any choice. Nalyd used to Force to make her kneel,bringing her knees to smack against the cold stone floor. Her eyes watered, but she did not cry out. She continued to look into Nalyd`s eyes as she spoke. "Why have you brought me away from my instructor?" In the blink of an eye, Nalyd had stepped forward and brought a gloved fist crashing into her mouth. This time, Nalyd had the pleasure of hearing her cry out. Her eyes were no longer watering, but were freely spilling her tears.

"I am Darth Nalyd, insolent girl, and I am the one asking questions. Rule number one, do not speak unless I have given you freedom to speak." She nodded her head quickly, her split and bleeding lips beginning to swell. Nalyd smirked as he stepped back. "Good. You learn quickly. I was also impressed with how you take orders. Immediately. If you pass my test, I will tell you why I brought you away from your instructor. The Code of the Sith. Speak it."

Her voice quivered with pain, but her words were clear. "Peace is a lie, there is only passion. Through passion, I gain strength. Through strength, I gain power. Through power I victory. Through victory, my chains are broken. The Force shall free me." Nalyd looked from her large brown eyes to the silver cylinder on her hip. "Is that a training lightsaber?" She shook her head. "No my lord. I just received it three days ago."

"And how old are you?" She continued looking at him as his eyes met hers. "I am seventeen my lord. I do not know the exact date of my birth. Just the number of years." He nodded and rubbed his clean shaven cheek. "And have you been with the Sith for long?" She nodded. "Yes my lord. As long as I can remember." Using the Force, Nalyd opened the door, and jerked Mountik inside. "Mountik, return to your instructor. I am finished with you." With that, Nalyd Force pushed the young man out, closing the door once more. "Now Sairah, I will tell you the reason I have taken you away from your instructor. I have chosen you as my apprentice. And from this moment forward...you will be known as Darth Neera. Rise. Pack your things and meet me at the hangar in exactly half an hour." She began grinning as he spoke, ignoring the pain in her lips, and stood. "Yes my lord! I will be ready long before that! Thank you!"

Nalyd looked at her coldly. "From this moment on, you will refer to me as master." She sobered immediately at his look and nodded. "Of course, my master. Forgive me." He waved his hand and she departed.

Darth Nalyd sat in his starship, looking at the star charts on his navicomputer. He desperately wanted to go back to Yavin 4, but logically discarded that notion. He had already searched there, and he hadn't left that planet in good shape. Falling into himself, he commanded the Force to show him possible locations where there were strong presences in the Force. Opening his eyes, he grinned evilly. He quickly punched in the coordinates after making a cursory glance at his ship diagnostics. Darth Neera sat in the co-pilot`s seat, watching him with interest. "Is everything alright master?" Flicking on his sub-light engines, he quickly gained altitude and was leaving Korriban's orbit within seconds. "Of course, my apprentice." _This should be quite interesting_, he thought to himself. _Tatooine._ _That is where my next destination lies. _Checking the coordinates once more, he then switched his Sith Infiltrator to auto-pilot. Leaving his seat, he went to his cargo compartment and opened his food container, pulling out two small rations of food. He hadn't eaten in three days. Training was harsh and brutal. Especially for the student of the Sith Master.

He seated himself at his computer, tossed a ration to Neera, and pulled up his recorded document archives. He studied the image in the hologram, as he had frequently over the past two years. He studied her moves, her fighting techniques; those when and when she wasn't fighting alongside her sister. He never tired of this particular hologram. He would sit for hours on end watching it over and over. _Where are you at this instant, Kiana? You will be paid back in full for what you and your sister did to me. _Neera stood behind him, watching the holo-record as well. "Master, who are they?" Nalyd turned his attention to his apprentice, then back to the holo-record, speaking over his shoulder. "Two young Jedi that nearly defeated me." Neera`s eyes widened a bit at his words. "Defeated you? Those two? They look weak master. How could they ever have possibly defeated you?" Nalyd gritted his teeth. "Luck. Plain and simple. They will pay though. And you shall watch as your master breaks them." Neera laughed and gripped his shoulder. "I would love to watch that master. Very much." Her hand lingering on his shoulder a moment longer, she left and seated herself in the co-pilot`s seat once more. In a low whisper, she made a vow. "They will pay for what they did to you master. They will pay dearly."

She sat in a dark corner of a cantina. The town of Anchorhead was a disgusting place, she decided. "Hey! Girl! Your break is over. Get back to work!" Sighing in self disgust, Kiana quickly got out of the booth, grab her tray, and started to clean the dirty tables. Having no credits made things difficult, so she found a temporary job as a waitress. She nearly had the credits she needed to leave this filthy, dirt encrusted rock. She glanced up as a man walked in. The bar patrons fell to a hush as they studied the man. Seeing that he was not of the local authorities, they went back to their drinks. The man seemed familiar to Kiana, but she couldn't place him. He certainly had an aura of power about him, and a trace of the Force flowed through his veins. He looked directly at her, flashed her a charming grin, winked, and sat down in a booth near to the one she had previously been cleaning. Walking over to him, she grabbed her datapad and asked him,"What can I get for you, Sir?" Grinning at her all the while, he looked around, and pointed to a Troydarian's brightly colored blue drink. "How about that? I'm not sure what it is, but it definitely looks interesting." Grimacing in disgust, she quickly punched in his order and went to the bar to retrieve it. _How can anyone drink this filth? _, she asked herself. Walking back to the strange man who seemed somewhat familiar, she set his drink on the table and told him the amount of credits for the drink. He handed over the credits and continued to look at her and grin. "You don't belong here." Kiana glanced up at the man. "I beg your pardon?"

"I said you don't belong here. In a place like this I mean. A woman of your beauty should be out adventuring among the stars." Kiana blushed and gave him a sheepish grin. "Thank you sir. This is only temporary until I acquire the credits I need to travel. I'm searching for someone." The man glanced at her, and his smile widened. "I see. Why don't you join me then?" Kiana almost dropped her tray. "What? Just leave with you? I don't even know your name." The man said quickly, "My name is Dylan. Just Dylan. Might I have the pleasure of your name?" Hesitating for only a moment, Kiana replied. " I am Kiana. Just Kiana." She grinned at her cleverness. The man's grin seemed to widen as well. "Very well, Miss Kiana. I have some business I must attend to at the moment, but I will return shortly. Think on my proposition. We could help each other. I could help you find the person you seek, and you could help me on a little treasure hunt of my own." Standing up, the man left the bar. Sitting down in the booth, Kiana tried to digest it all. Without thinking about what she was doing, she gulped down the blue drink and immediately winced as it burned and fizzed the back of her throat. She jumped, startled, at the sound of the bartender's voice. "Hey! I don't pay you to sit around and drink! You're fired!" Sighing at the unpleasant man, Kiana got up, tossed her apron into the booth, grabbed her credits of the day, and left the bar.

Outside the bar, Darth Nalyd shrugged off his Force imbued disguise. He hated using disguises, but it was the only way to get that girl where he wanted her. Smiling wickedly, Darth Nalyd walked down the dirt street and walked into the desert.

Entering the cave, Darth Nalyd felt with the Force for any lifeforms. Nothing. Walking deeper into the cave, he stumbled upon something on the ground. It was the skeleton of a Tuskan Raider, also known as the Sand People. Kicking the skeletal arm aside, he continued on. His search paid off. He saw, at the very back of the cave, a gem encrusted symbol. Not understanding the symbol at all, he recorded it in his datapad and laughed. As he was putting his datapad into a small compartment on his belt, he mumbled to himself, "Now I am getting somewhere. Time to deal with that girl." Walking out of the cave, he walked into the desert and headed back to Anchorhead.

Many hours later, Kiana was leaning against the outer wall of the bar, next to the entrance, a small bag containing her few belongings at her feet. Looking up, she saw the same man that she had talked to striding towards her, his ever present, charming grin on his face. "Miss Kiana. It's a pleasure seeing you once again. Have you thought over my offer?" Squinting in the unbearable sun, Kiana nodded her head as she spoke. "I have thought it over and I have decided to take you up on your offer. I believe you can help me, even though I am not entirely sure how I would help you." The man who called himself Dylan gave a short bow and replied, "I'm sure we can find some way for you to help. But lets worry about that later. Shall we get started then?" Kiana smiled and nodded her head once again. "Sure." Taking the lead, Dylan strode down the winding streets, Kiana quick behind him. They entered the hangar and Kiana stopped as cold fear gripped her stomach. She recognized that ship. "W-where did you get that ship?" she quietly asked. Dylan turned and looked at her curiously. "This piece of junk? In all honesty I found it on Coruscant. It was abandoned, so the hangar authorities told me. I was in desperate need of a ship at the time and so the head engineer offered it to me. Needless to say I accepted his generous offer." Kiana looked from Dylan to the ship. "That ship is evil." Dylan grinned at her innocently as he replied, "A ship is a ship Kiana. Its what you do with a ship that counts." He looked at her curiously. "Have you seen this ship before?" She stared at the ship. "Once." Something wasn't right, Kiana knew, but the Force brought them together for a reason. "Well then, Miss Kiana, if you'll just step aboard, well be on our way." Steeling herself against her self-doubt and fear, Kiana walked defiantly up the boarding ramp and into the ship. Following behind, Darth Nalyd smiled to himself evilly.


	3. Chapter 3

"It's been three days. And we're still flying through space. Do you have any idea where we're going?" Kiana paced the cabin of the starship in irritation. Neera gritted her teeth in annoyance. Nalyd kept his face impassive. "Of course I know where we're going. Do you doubt me? I'm just

deciding my next course of action. Please sit down Kiana! Your irritating pacing is driving me insane." Kiana sighed to herself as Neera smirked at the woman, and sat next to Nalyd in the co-pilot's seat. "I'm sorry Dylan, I'm just anxious to find some clues. Where are we headed? And you

never did tell me what you were searching for." Nalyd looked at Kiana out of the corner of his eye. He glanced down at her lightsaber as he said, " A lightsaber. Are you very proficient with it Kiana? You seem very young." Kiana stiffened, her pride being hurt at the doubt presented of her

proficiency. "I am proficient enough to take care of myself." Faster than lightning, Nalyd threw his hand out and snatched her lightsaber from her belt. Flipping it on with a _snap-hiss_, he held the blade next to her neck. "Obviously not proficient enough."

Neera let out a cold laugh as Kiana sat completely still, Nalyd throwing off his Force imbued disguise. Her eyes widened in terror and she saw the Sith standing before her. Grinning, Nalyd stared at Kiana, watching the fear in her eyes. "Obviously not proficient enough. Stand up. And don't try

any of your Jedi tricks. I am much more powerful than I was before." Neera spoke up. "Not to mention you are now outnumbered. Perhaps now you will pay for what you did to my master." Standing up stiffly, Kiana collected herself. "How did you survive? The wounds we gave you were

fatal."

"Yes. The wounds you gave me were indeed fatal. Lucky for me, I planned ahead of time. I had a medical droid in my starship. It was the most basic of medical droids, and provided no anesthetics. I lay in pain for two days as the droid stitched me back together. It wasn't the best of

jobs, but I lasted until I got to my master. There, for the past two years, I healed and trained. And I promise I will pay you back. And since you are the only one here, you get your sisters half of pay back as well. Walk into the cargo hold." Kiana listened with rapt attention as Nalyd told her of

the past two years. He looked at his apprentice. "Continue to monitor things here. I need to speak with Kiana... in private." Neera nodded. "As you wish my master."

Walking to the inner part of the ship, Kiana walked with calm steps. "Stop. Now turn around." Nalyd was looking at Kiana with a dead calm look on his face. Kiana spoke, a bit more quickly than she anticipated. "What do you plan to do with me?" Nalyd looked at Kiana. Roving her body

with his eyes, Nalyd grinned and looked back into Kiana's eyes. "That wholly depends on you, my dear." Kiana's eyes widened a bit. "What do you mean?" Nalyd turned off her lightsaber and stood there, watching her. The grin fading from his face, he replied to Kiana's question. "You will die

if you try anything against me. As I told you before, I'm searching for something. Help me with my search. When we find what I'm searching for, your debt to me will be cleared. I will only have to pay back your sister. And pay she will, do not doubt me young Jedi." Kiana sat up straight at the

mention of her sister. "You will never harm my sister! Eiram is too strong for you."

"No, Kiana, she is not. The only reason both of you defeated me, is because, obviously, there were the both of you. You two complement each other very well. If you do not help me I will kill you and your sister." Kiana sat in fear for a moment, that fear turning into…what? Something

she could not explain yet. "Sith, I will bargain with you." Anger flaring up within him, Darth Nalyd roared at Kiana, "I am not referred to as Sith! Darth Nalyd, or Nalyd if you must. Do not call me Sith!" Kiana fell back at the sudden outburst. "Very well, Nalyd. I will bargain with you?" Staring at

Kiana in suspicion, Nalyd nodded. "I will hear what you have to say." Mustering up her courage, Kiana spoke. "I will help you. Only if you forget about my sister." Grinning, Nalyd leaned against a storage container. "Aww. Protecting baby sister? How thoughtful." Thinking to himself for a

moment, Nalyd nodded his head. "Very well, Kiana. You have my word. I will not harm your sister." Glancing at Kiana's lightsaber, he asked her, "Should I give this back to you?" He tapped the lightsaber with his fingers absently. Kiana looked at her lightsaber and then back to Nalyd. "If you

do not, I will have no way of defending myself if we should come up against any enemies." Nalyd smiled at Kiana as he tossed her the weapon. "I'm trusting you won't kill me in my sleep. I have your word as a Jedi you wont. Besides, I trust you." Grinning at Kiana, he stood and made his

way to the cockpit. Kiana stood up and caught her breath. She couldn't believe the events that were transpiring around her! She just made a deal to help a Sith! What was happening to her? Were the words her sister spoke true? Well nothing for her to do except to go with it. Moving next

to Nalyd, she sat in the communications chair. Nalyd looked up as she entered and glanced back at his navicomputer. Neera shot the Jedi a scathing look, then returned to her work checking the ship`s statistics. "Were near the Outer Rim. We're three hundred lightyears away from any

habitable world, human or otherwise. This was a precaution, until I had your answer." Punching in a few coordinates, he brought a world up on the hologram. "We are headed for the Zabrakian home world. Iridonia. Its a harsh world with many battles ahead of us, I'm sure. It will take us

three days to get there." He grinned at Kiana as he turned back to look at the planet on his holo-display. "Plenty of time for us to get to know each other." Kiana's pride bubbled up. "You realize we're partners. I chose to help you." Nalyd brushed her comment aside. "Yes, yes. And I was

serious. We need to get to know each other if we are to work well together and help each other. Do you contest that?" Kiana shook her head. "No. I agree. But I thought – " Nalyd interrupted her. "You thought I meant we should get to know each other sexually. Don't be ignorant, girl."

Swiveling his chair, he turned to face Kiana directly, catching sight of the look on Neera's face. He would have to have a discussion with her later. He turned back to Kiana as she spoke. "Nalyd, how much do you know of the Force?" This took Nalyd by surprise. Neera spat out in anger, "My

master is only second to the Dark Lord of the Sith! He knows more than any of you Jedi fools!" Nalyd smirked and held a hand towards his apprentice, silently asking her to calm down. "My apprentice is right. I know much, Miss Kiana. Why do you ask?" Kiana hesitated for a moment, looked at

Neera as she received a hate filled look, and quickly turned her attention back to Nalyd. "I need to talk about something." Kiana stared at the floor as she spoke. "I had a dream. And you were in it. I need answers." Nalyd sat back in his chair. For the first time in his life, with the exception of

being in the presence of his master, Nalyd was at a loss for words. Kiana continued. She closed her eyes as she remembered clearly every detail of her dream as she recounted it to him. "In the dream, you are standing on a sort of cliff. There is no sun, and there is a storm, yet no rain. The

clouds are swirling and black as they whip your robes around your body. Lightning is flashing everywhere, and yet you are untouched, unharmed. Your lightsaber is ignited, and you are reaching towards me, as if to draw me up to your side. There is a look in your face, in your eyes, a look I

never thought would cross the face of a Sith." Opening her eyes once more, Kiana looked over at Nalyd to see his reaction. His expression was undeterminable. She heard a small snort coming from the irritating apprentice, but she kept silent. Sitting in the pilot's seat with his arms behind his

head, he calmly looked out the viewports into empty space. Kiana gathered up her courage and continued quickly, "Do you have any idea what the dream means?" Nalyd looked over at her calmly, his face as if made of cold stone. "No Kiana. I have no idea what your dream means. Obviously

it was a type of premonition? A message being imparted on you by the Force?" Grinning at her suddenly he quickly said, "Or, it could be just that. A dream. Nothing more." And with that he checked over the coordinates in the navicomputer and without looking at Kiana, he spoke to her. "You

should go get some rest. We have some hard battles ahead of us." Slightly disappointed, as well as surprised at Nalyd's reaction, she silently nodded and headed toward the sleeping quarter in the belly of the ship. Slipping underneath the soft, warm sheets, her lightsaber never far from her

reach, she finally drifted off into the first uninterrupted sleep she'd had in weeks.

Glaring out of the viewports, Darth Nalyd pondered Kiana's dream and the meaning behind it. Did he honestly believe what he'd told her about it just being a dream? _No._ He thought to himself. _The Force works in ways many can't understand. But that was no simple dream. It was most assuredly _

_the workings of the Force. _"Master, if I may?" Looking at his apprentice as she studied him, he saw a look he`d never seen there before. Jealousy perhaps? Agitation? He knew she didn`t like Kiana, that much was certain. She had nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw the two entering

the ship that day on Tatooine. He`d had to use the Force to mentally calm her down, to silently speak his intentions. He smiled at her and nodded. "Of course my apprentice. What do you wish to say?" She looked at him in concern, then shot a glare in the general direction of the Jedi. "I think

it was nothing but a dream. A fantasy she conjured up after the two of you met and battled. She longed to see you again, so her mind created you, making you seem like some sort of savior of hers." He thought over her words for a few moments as he looked at her. He wasn`t sure whether

to thank fate or curse it. His apprentice was exceptionally beautiful. And she just happened to be strong in the Force, her powers constantly near to being unleashed in some fit of emotion. _I will need to teach her a bit of control._ He thought to himself, then suddenly reprimanded himself for

losing the thread of conversation. Quickly recalling her exact words, he sighed. "My apprentice, I do not know what her dream means. I was honest when I said that. However, do not take the Force so lightly. You never know what the Force is up to. That is why we seek to control it. I

welcome your opinion, and it does give me a few extra things to consider. Also, you need to learn to control your emotions better. Lashing out at her constantly will not make the trip more enjoyable." She narrowed her eyes but dared not to cross him. "Yes master. I understand." He chuckled

and reached over, patting her knee. "You will come to truly understand in time. I`m going to get some sleep. You should sleep soon as well." Standing up, stretching his finely honed muscles, he double checked the coordinates, then silently walked to the sleeping quarter. Falling towards

unconsciousness, his dreams were very different from the past two years.

Falling out of his bunk, Nalyd awoke instantly. Kiana jumped up in alarm, her lightsaber in hand, ready to combat the Sith traitor. Nalyd glared at Kiana as he noticed her lightsaber. "It was nothing I did! Put that thing away, you're going to poke an eye out." Climbing quickly to his feet, he felt

the shudder of the Sith Infiltrator as something hit it from the outside. Running to the cockpit, he glanced at the flashing lights and warning signals. Following on his heels came Kiana and Neera, Kiana looking about in confusion, Neera looking at Kiana in distaste. Looking around in alarm,

Kiana glanced at Nalyd. "Whats happening? What's hitting us?" Nalyd flipped a few switches, turning on the front deflector shields. "Asteroids it seems. Nothing to fear." Working the controls calmly yet quickly, Nalyd deftly maneuvered the ship out of the asteroid cluster. "We got here a lot

quicker than I thought. Are you ready to land you two?" Sitting in the co-pilot's seat, Kiana strapped the restraining harness over her body as Neera did likewise at the communications terminal . "As ready as I'll ever be I suppose." Neera smirked at her obvious doubt as Nalyd flew the ship

towards the surface of Iridonia. Starting the landing sequence, he efficiently entered the atmosphere and brought the ship to a soft, smooth landing on the surface. "Welcome to Iridonia, Miss Kiana. Expect to fight many enemies. You as well my apprentice. Keep your lightsabers ready. We

are on the Zabrak's home world. A naturally proud, fierce race. They are expert fighters." Grinning evilly at the prospect of battle, Nalyd eagerly set his ship's defenses as he headed towards the boarding ramp. Kiana and Neera followed quickly behind.

Exiting the ship,the three looked at the harsh landscape wearily. Harsh winds blew dust in their eyes, the hot, rocky formations not a welcome sight. Nalyd looked at Kiana and grinned. "Get ready little Jedi. They are coming." Kiana turned and looked at the evil glint in his eyes. "We do

not need to kill them if we don't have to. Let us speak with them first." Neera snorted, got dust up her nose, and sneezed. She muttered irritably, "Just like a Jedi." Sighing to himself, he nodded his acquiescence, knowing it was the only way he could keep her from turning on him. "Very well.

But the moment a weapon is brought to bear, my lightsaber will be tasting Zabrakian flesh." Kiana glared at Nalyd's obvious lust for blood as she nodded back at him.

The forty Zabrak males walked towards them cautiously, vibroblades and blasters sheathed at their hips. The biggest Zabrak, apparently the leader, walked away from the group, towards the three Force users. Nalyd muttered quietly to Kiana before the leader was close enough to

hear, "Forty of them. About thirteen apiece to us. Can you handle that?" Kiana looked at Nalyd proudly as she said, "It won't come to that." Nalyd grinned at her evilly as the leader approached. "What do you want here? You are not welcome at all. Go back to your ship and leave and no

harm will come to you." Nalyd flared up. "Harm come to us? You are either brave or foolish." Kiana impatiently waved her hand at Nalyd, quieting him. "We come here only seeking ancient ruins. We mean you no harm and would prefer not to do battle with you." The Zabrak male puffed his

chest in pride. "Whether you're intending to do us harm or not, it does not matter. I will say it again once. Go back to your ship and leave." Nalyd looked at the male leader coldly and simply said, "No. And if you do not let us pass, then you will be the last to die. You will watch me cut down

your friends here and come to regret ever threatening a Sith Lord." The Zabrak's eyes widened in alarm as he drew his vibroblade, his group of followers following his lead, themselves drawing vibroswords and blasters. With an echoed _snap-hiss _Nalyd drew his lightsaber and ignited the

black blades, immediately severing the Zabrak's sword wielding hand as well as cleanly slicing off the Zabrak's legs. Kiana activated her blue blade with a high pitched _snap-hiss,_ cleanly blocking four simultaneous blaster bolts. Neera growled as her red blade appeared, blocking multiple

blaster bolts as well. Kiana looked to the side at Nalyd as she realized he wasn't there. Looking forward, she saw he had Force-sped himself into the middle of the group, hacking and slashing with abandon, pure rage and power guiding his moves. In less than three minutes, thirty nine out

of the forty were dead. She looked over at Neera to see the young woman smiling with pride at her master. Kiana was nearly sick. Nalyd disengaged one blade of his lightsaber, leaving the other to hum in barely contained anticipation. Stalking towards the Zabrak, who gritted his teeth

through the pain, Nalyd came within an inch of the Zabraks face. Whispering coldly, Nalyd asked him, "Your name, Zabrak." The male looked Nalyd in the eyes. "Thaklos. I was the leader of the group. Sith scum!" Nalyd grinned coldly as he asked, "Where can I find the ancient ruins? You know

what I'm talking about." Thaklos looked at Nalyd with wide eyes. "I don't know what you're talking about. There are hundreds of ruins around here!" Nalyd smiled coldly as he looked at Thaklos. Kiana screamed at Nalyd as he plunged his lightsaber upwards through Thakloss jaw, the tip

protruding from the top of his head. Scowling as he pulled the lightsaber backward, slicing the Zabraks face in half, he glared at Kiana. "Do not interfere girl. I told you. You are here to assist me! Speak out of line one more time and its your head." Glaring at Kiana, he bellowed, "DO YOU

UNDERSTAND?" Backing up cautiously, Kiana nodded her head slowly. Neera gave Kiana a smug smile. Calming instantly, Nalyd looked around. "Very well. Let's get going. I want to be off this miserable planet by the end of the day." Walking towards the horizon, he pulled his heavy hood low

over his face as Kiana and Neera fell in step behind. "You know Nalyd, you don't always have to kill every enemy." Without turning, Nalyd said over his shoulder, "Yes. I do. If I had left any alive, then the secret of what we're searching for would be out, and it would no longer be a secret."

Kiana squinted through the dust and sun. "Well I know about the secret. Why haven't you killed me?" Nalyd laughed at her. "I would have thought that was obvious. You are helping me. My task is much easier with you joining us. Now stop talking and let's get this over with."

After hours of travel, they finally reached a set of ruins. Nalyd nodded to himself, though the other two saw, so they assumed this was their destination. "This feels like the correct place. Spread out. You`ll know what to look for when you find it." They roamed through the crumbled

ruins for nearly an hour. Nalyd cursed in anger. "There's nothing here!" Kiana looked at the ground, brushing the dirt with the side of her foot. "Nalyd! I think there's something here." Nalyd quickly walked over to stand next to Kiana as Neera sighed in disappointment. She had hoped to be

the one to find something, impressing her master immensely. Using Force-push, Nalyd blasted the dirt away from the rune. Grinning coldly, Nalyd pulled out his data pad and recorded the rune. Putting the data pad back into his pouch compartment on his belt, he pulled his hood low over his

head, shielding the sun from his sensitive eyes. "We're done here Kiana. Neera? Let's go." Kiana looked up at Nalyd, confusion apparent on her face. "That's it? Nothing else?" Nalyd looked at Kiana with a smirk and said sarcastically, "What did you expect? Magical light and powerful storms?

A beam of light with singing voices? Yes. That's it and we're done here. Let us go." Without saying another word, the three walked back to the ship and stepped up onto the boarding ramp.

Sitting in the pilots chair, Nalyd fell into himself, using the Force to detect the next best possible location to search. Kiana walked into the cockpit cheerily, not noticing Nalyd's deep concentration, and sat down in the co-pilots seat. "Where to next?" Neera hissed for Kiana to be

quiet, and the Jedi looked at the young apprentice curiously. Sighing in irritation, Nalyd came out of his trance and made a fist angrily. "I don't know." Thinking to himself, he suddenly made up his mind. Getting up from his seat, he walked into the cargo hold. Stepping back into the cockpit, he

tossed a bundle of clothing to Kiana. "Change into these. We are going back to the Sith academy. There is someone I need to converse with. Go change and let me see how you look." Kiana widened her eyes at Nalyd skeptically. Nalyd grinned in amusement. "With your clothes on! I want to

see if you can pass for a Sith." His apprentice snorted and muttered quietly. "That'll never happen." Standing up, Kiana walked back to the cargo hold. Punching in the coordinates into his navicomputer, he set the course for Korriban. Speaking in a low voice, Neera turned towards her master.

"Master? May I ask you something?" He glanced over at her, then continued with the pre-flight checks. "Sure Neera. What is it?" She looked towards the cargo hold, then turned back to face her master, studying him intently. "What is that woman to you?" Caught by surprise, he turned to

gawk at his apprentice. "What is she to me? I would have figured that was obvious." Neera shook her head and Nalyd sighed, then continued. "She is nothing but a tool. When we are finished with her, we will get rid of her, I assure you." Nodding in satisfaction, she grew quiet as she

sensed Kiana returning. Walking into the cockpit, Kiana stood before Nalyd, wearing a soft, black blouse and pants under a stiff, pitch black tunic. Covering her slim, muscular frame was a thick, black heavy Sith cloak. She looked at herself skeptically. Nalyd looked at her in awe, his mouth

hanging open. He had never seen a woman so beautiful, even in the exotic looking Sith clothing. Most Sith women had very little modesty when it came to their bodies. Neera cleared her throat with a slight "ahem", and Nalyd closed his mouth, then smirked. "You look passable." Looking at

Nalyd, Kiana looked away, silently blushing and sitting in the co-pilot's chair. Neera snorted. "There are a few things you need to know while you're there. You don't have the eyes of a Sith, so don't look anyone in the eye. You don't have the walk of a Sith either. There isn't much we can do

about that. And you definitely don't act like a Sith. Just walk as if you have a purpose and nothing frightens you. As if you can defeat anyone and anything. Which may I remind you, you cannot. The Sith progress faster than mere Jedi and are much more powerful than you can imagine. Don't

speak. Do you understand everything I've told you?" Looking at Nalyd proudly, she quickly replied. "Of course I understand. I'm not a child." Neera`s reply was barely audible. "Noo..of course you`re not." Grinning to himself, he nodded his head. "We shall see soon enough." Powering up the

sub-light engines on the _Requiem_, he lifted off and streaked out of Iridonia's atmosphere. Once in space, he checked the coordinates of Korriban. Initiating the hyper drive, the pinpricks of light became streaming lines as the ship entered hyper speed.

Coming out of hyperspace, Darth Nalyd turned on the comm link, landing bays of the Sith Academy. "This is Darth Nalyd aboard the _Requiem_. Requesting the coordinates for the approach vectors." There was an immediate response over the comm link. "Master Nalyd! The approach

vectors are being uploaded to your ship. You may start your descent. Hangar 7-C is open, my lord. Word of caution, the winds are a bit turbulent this evening." Nalyd nodded his head as he replied with a simple word. "Good." Nalyd brought the ship through Korribans atmosphere, heading

towards the landing hangar 7-C. He quickly turned to Kiana. "You remember everything I told you?" Kiana noticed he said this with a slight hint of worry as she nodded her head and replied. "Yes. I remember. But I will not let the Sith mar the Jedi with curses." Leaping to his feet, he stared at

Kiana with anger. "You will if you want to live! And I don't mean it will be my hand that kills you. This isn't a simple Sith training academy, it is an academy where Sith apprentices come to learn to become Sith Lords and Masters. They are infinitely more powerful than you can ever fathom. If

you cannot hold your tongue, then you will stay on the ship. Do you think the Jedi believe that it's worth dying over a few useless words? I believe they would consider your life to be more important than trying to defend their honor!" With that said he walked toward the back of the ship,

dropping the loading ramp and walking outside. As he stepped onto the sandy ground, he pulled the hood low over his eyes and waited for Kiana, for he knew she would follow. Neera stood close to his side, her arm lightly brushing his as she moved. He grinned to himself as he heard

Kiana's steps on the boarding ramp, then she was next to him.

Using the force, he opened the great, stone, rune covered doors to enter the Sith academy. As he did so, two Sith guards moved in front of him with vibro-spears crossed in front of him. "I'm sorry sir. No one is permitted without appropriate identification." Anger burst forth in a

powerful wave from Darth Nalyd as he bellowed, "APPROPRIATE IDENTIFICATION?" He furiously threw his hood off his head and used his Force-speed to appear an inch away from the guard's face on the right. He angrily looked into the guard's eyes as he coldly whispered, "Is this

identification enough for you?" The guards eyes widened as sweat formed on his forehead from fear at the sudden recognition. "M..Master Nalyd! My Lord! Please forgive my insubordination." Darth Nalyd calmly stood up and replaced his hood. "Do not make that mistake again. It will be your

last, I promise you." Stepping past the guards and into the dimly lit corridor, Nalyd casually summoned Kiana and his apprentice with his hand. "Let's go my dears." Kiana calmly walked passed the two guards, and smiled at them in what she hoped was a dreadfully evil smile. The guards just

looked at her curiously. As Neera walked past, she kicked dirt into the face of the guard that had wronged her master. The sudden burst of power shown by Nalyd unnerved the Jedi severely, to the point where her knees had trembled slightly in fear. He definitely had become more powerful!

She had never realized he commanded such fear and respect among the Sith. Gathering her courage, she followed Darth Nalyd into the academy. Approaching a classroom, Darth Nalyd silently beckoned Kiana as he opened the door. Upon entering, everyone immediately stopped what they

were doing, stood up, and gave Darth Nalyd a deep bow. The instructor of the twenty or so eight year old children walked towards Nalyd. "My Lord! Darth Neera! What an unexpected pleasure! How may I be of assistance to you?" Darth Nalyd grinned with amusement at the obvious suck-up

tactics. Nalyd removed his hood as he spoke. "I'm giving a possible prospect a tour of our academy. I wanted to show her how well trained even the young students are. Therefore, I will not only test the students, but I will also be testing you, instructor." The instructor gave an arrogant grin

at Darth Nalyd as he bowed once again. "Of course, Master Nalyd. Please do as you wish!" Walking into the classroom filled to capacity with eight and nine year old boys and girls of many different species, he stood at the front of the classroom and looked at the children. "What is the Sith

code, students?" Immediately and in unison, the entire classroom spoke from memory. "Peace is a lie. There is only passion. Through passion, I gain strength. Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken. The Force shall free me."

Grinning in pride, Nalyd spoke once again. "And who is our archenemy?" Again in unison, the students immediately replied. "The Jedi!" Darth Nalyd looked over to see the reaction on Kiana's face and grinned in amusement at the bright red flush in her cheeks. "And where is their main temple

located?" In unison, "Coruscant!" Grinning all the while, Darth Nalyd turned to the instructor. "Very good instructor. Please continue with your lesson." The Sith instructor gave a deep bow as he replied, " Thank you, my lord." Bowing once again as Nalyd, Neera, and Kiana walked out the

door, the students sat down and as the instructor picked up where he left off. "Now at the height of his power, Naga Sadow..." Nalyd closed the door as Kiana turned to him angrily and spoke in quiet, harsh words. "Why did you show me that?" Nalyd grinned at her smugly. "Calm yourself

Kiana. Anger leads to the Dark Side." And with that he walked down the cool, dim corridor. Stepping into the open interior of the academy, he walked near to where many students were training with red lightsabers. Kiana noticed this and moved next to Nalyd as she asked quietly, "Nalyd, all

these lightsabers are red, yet yours is black. I thought the symbolic color of the Sith is red? Why is yours different?" Nalyd nodded at the question. "You are correct when you say red is the symbolic color of the Sith, but that was in the old days, when we had to alchemically manufacture the

focusing crystals ourselves. The lightsabers you see are merely training lightsabers. They hurt if struck, but they are not fatal. We kept the red color in honor of that tradition, but once you are an apprentice, you create your own lightsaber. The color of the lightsaber reflects the creator's

personality, skill, and power. The lightsaber is no longer restricted to just the color red. Many Sith also carry blue, green, even white lightsabers. Mine is black because it reflects my emotions and power. The type of lightsaber I carry also reflects my skill." Kiana soaked all of this information in

awe. "Your apprentice wields a red lightsaber though. Does that match her personality?" Nalyd nodded. "Neera is fiery and very quick to anger. Red suits her perfectly." Kiana looked around for a moment before speaking again. "Are there any Sith that are more powerful than you?" Nalyd

grimly nodded his head. "There is one. My master. He carries a single bladed white lightsaber. There are only two others that are on par with me as well. An old friend named Darth Leoj, and my younger brother Darth Drawde. We are all three more skilled and powerful than any of the

masters here, with the exception of my master. We just decided now was not the appropriate time to assume the title of Lord of the Sith." As Nalyd explained this, a man in pitch black robes blocked his path. Grinning in arrogant pride, the man removed his hood, revealing bright, blonde hair,

and cold, intelligent, piercing blue eyes. He was slightly taller and thinner than Nalyd, but his arms were tight with corded, finely honed muscle. Kiana stepped backwards in fear as he looked from her to Nalyd. She looked at Nalyd to see his face a mask of grim, solid stone. He shrugged off his

cloak as he looked at the man. "Darth Leoj. I might have known I'd find you here." Darth Leoj looked back at Nalyd as his smile disappeared. He spoke coldly, as calm wind through leaves in the Yavin jungle. "Darth Nalyd. You bring a Jedi among us. What treachery is this?" Darth Nalyd

grinned evilly at Darth Leoj. "She is with me, and that is all that should concern you." Kiana looked around and noticed all of the students as well as the instructors had stopped practicing, as if waiting for the titanic struggle that was about to ensue. Quicker than her eyes could follow, both

Sith snapped out their lightsabers with the distinctive _snap-hiss_ as the powerful black blades of Nalyd's saber and the dark blue blades of Darth Leoj came to bear. Darth Leoj wielded dual lightsabers, the same as her little sister, Eiram, but she could tell this man was on a completely

different level than her sister. Kiana stepped backwards as static electricity created from the Force of these two evil men encircled each other, getting out of their predicted paths of destruction. Darth Nalyd started the combat, his dark robes swirling about as he launched a double handed

stab at Leojs midriff. His visage was calm, but Kiana felt Nalyd's inner emotion of anger flare inside him, pouring out of him, giving him the power and speed necessary to fight this terrible opponent. Neera watched the battle eagerly, fingering her lightsaber. Leoj cleanly blocked the thrust

with a cross-over down, plunging his lightsabers towards the ground. Nalyd reacted quickly, spinning to the left to slash at Leoj with a backwards slash with the blade on the other end of his lightsaber. Leoj quickly turned to the side as he blocked with his right hand, bringing his left hand in

a sidewards thrust with his blade. Nalyd cleanly brought his lightsaber to bear, blocking Leoj's blade. Leoj leaned in, both lightsabers pressing against the blades of Nalyds lightsaber, trying to overpower him. Nalyd let burst a thrust of incredible power, knocking Leoj back a few steps. Using

his second of advantage, Nalyd quickly twisted his wrists that disengaged the handle of his double-bladed lightsaber, turning them into two deadly lightsabers, one in each hand. Both combatants quickened their pace, Nalyd blocking Leojs thrust-thrust-slash with his left hand while

simultaneously delivering a thrusting attack of his own with his right blade. Each of the Sith fighters cleanly parried and blocked the others' attack. Kiana quickly understood that they were of the same level, that this was the man Nalyd had been speaking of only moments before. Kiana

scanned the crowd as she saw many of the students whispering amongst each other, placing bets on who they thought would win. Out of the crowd walked a tall, thin boy of approximately seventeen years of age. He turned towards the students as he frowned. She heard him speak to

them loudly. "Are all of you fools? You know who each of the fighters are. Neither will win. They are both equally matched. Idiots." He had dark, curly hair and dark eyes, and he carried on his hip twin lightsabers as well. Turning back to watch the battle, she witnessed Nalyd jump into the air,

over Leoj's head, to land behind him, lightsabers falling in a double arc of pure, black energy. Leoj dove into a cart wheeled roll sideways as he put some distance between himself and Darth Nalyd. Nalyd calmly but quickly walked towards Leoj as Leoj did the same, the only difference

between the two being Nalyd's furiously calm expression and Leoj's arrogant grin. Nalyd closed the distance with a burst of Force-speed and attacked with a pincer attack, his arms coming out and back in, directly at Leoj's neck. Leoj quickly batted the black blades out to the sides as they

both immediately retaliated with a kick, blocking each others' attack with their foot. Looking at the two in amazement, Kiana noticed something peculiar. Leoj's dark blue blades began to darken as his eyes began to glow. He used quick, decisive attacks while Nalyd's technique was much

more athletic. Nevertheless, he kept pace easily with Leoj. Nalyd yelled at Leoj in anger, "This is it Leoj! This is the final moments of our battle. We shall discover who is more skilled!" Leoj grinned in his irritatingly arrogant way as he replied, "You wish you could best me with a blade. You

forget what is imbued within these twin lightsabers of mine." Immediately following Leoj's words, he jumped in with a complicated swirling, corkscrew attack, his blades swinging wildly up and down as he spun, his robes twirling around his muscular, wiry frame. Nalyd countered by using the

same attack, both fighters now in a blur of movement. The only way to distinguish that neither had scored a hit was the constant static as each lightsaber blocked the other. Their static sounded like one, long blocked attack, but Kiana knew that these two were faster than that. Out of

nowhere she heard a shout, and a bright red beam of energy was ignited. Neera jumped into the fray. Leoj jumped back, now fighting off three lightsabers. Nalyd grinned savagely as Neera screamed, both attacking Leoj in fury. When it seemed Darth Leoj would be overtaken, two orange

glows suddenly appeared. Nalyd was a blur. Parrying both orange blades and Leoj`s left blade, his grin turned to one of deadly focus. Neera, being only an apprentice, was having a bit of trouble with Leoj`s right blade, but she kept up, swinging, dodging and blocking, contorting her body in

various postures to keep that deadly blue blade from harming her. Kiana was stunned. Never in her life had she seen such a show of battle prowess, even among the Jedi Masters. The boy with the orange sabers was spinning this way and that,doing full circles while focusing on Nalyd`s

right, while Nalyd quickly parried and blocked the orange blades. The world was a buzz of blocking lightsaber static, a haze of furiously moving colors. Suddenly, Leoj Force-pushed Neera out of the fight,and Nalyd was instantly fighting the two opponents alone. After a few more moments, the

three of them stopped. They all looked at each other, breathing heavily. Kiana looked at them in puzzlement as they started to laugh. Turning off their lightsabers, Nalyd reconnected the hilts and placed it upon his hip as Leoj and the boy placed their lightsabers on their hips. "Darth Leoj, old

friend!" Walking forward, the two clasped arms as Kiana saw the first solemn smile on Nalyds face. _He isn't completely consumed by the Dark Side. There is some compassion in him. I see that now. _Kiana thought to herself. The thought brought a slight smile to her face as she clearly saw her

mission. Nalyd then pulled the tall boy into a rough hug. "If it isn`t my younger brother, Drawde. It`s good to see you." Leoj grinned as Drawde withdrew, seeming a bit embarrassed. "Darth Nalyd! What brings you back to the academy so soon?" Leoj glanced over at Kiana. "A new prospect

for our order?" Nalyd's face suddenly turned grim as he replied in a low voice. "No. I wanted to talk about that, but somewhere a bit more private." Neera, out of breathe, stepped close to Nalyd, their shoulders touching. Glancing around, he looked back at Leoj. "It seems we've attracted an

audience." Leoj grinned at his long time friend. "Don't we always?" Nalyd studied the crowd for any familiar faces, then ignored them as he recognized none of them. The three Sith Masters, Nalyd`s apprentice, and the Jedi left the room, Darth Leoj in the lead. He opened the door to his

private quarters, which were dimly lit with a light blue glow. He threw his cloak onto a soft, plush chair as he walked to a miniature cooler at the foot of his bed. Pulling out five containers of water, he tossed four to his guests as he snapped off the lid and took a long pull. Drawde held the

water, crossing his arms and standing back against the wall. Smacking his lips in satisfaction, Leoj sat down casually on the bed as he pointed to another chair, offering Kiana to sit down. Darth Nalyd, obviously comfortable, sat in the cloak covered chair as he gulped down his water. Kiana

took the offered seat and sat down stiffly, sipping her water. Neera stood next to the chair her master occupied, drinking her water with fervor. She had never battled like that. The three Sith were truly masters.

Looking from Kiana to Nalyd and back again, Leoj started the conversation. "So Nalyd. What brings you back? And why HAVE you brought a Jedi among us?" Kiana widened her eyes in fear and quickly looked at Nalyd as Nalyd just smiled. Drawde spoke up. "Yes brother. I was curious of

the same thing."

"I have come because I need some help. And I brought her because this is the woman that fatally wounded me a couple years ago. You remember that time?" Leoj nodded his head. "Of course I remember. I was afraid you wouldn't make it. I wanted revenge on those who caused my

friend such pain." Drawde nodded. "As did I. I still say you should have taken me with you." "Well she is here to assist me. I gave her my word that if she helped me, she would be free of her debt. She agreed only on the condition that I forget about paying back her sister. And brother, you

were still training during that time. You would not have been able to help." Drawde let out a breath of annoyance, but kept silent. Leoj said nothing at Nalyd's words, only nodded his understanding. "I see. That explains her being here." He looked at the obvious fear on Kiana's face as he

laughed in amusement. "Fear not, fair Kiana. No others at this academy will know of your allegiance. Darth Nalyd is a long time friend of mine, and I trust him completely." Nalyd nodded in appreciation at Leoj. "And I you, Leoj." Leoj frowned as a sudden thought occurred to him. "And what of

Darth Divad? What if he finds out?"

"I do not plan to be here long enough for him to find out. I leave this day. I simply came for supplies and possible advice." Leoj looked at Nalyd as he questioned, "And what would this advice be?"

"You know of my mission?" Leoj nodded. "Well, I am at a loss as to where to look next. I try to feel with the Force, but I come up with nothing." Leoj frowned at Nalyd's predicament. "And you come to me? You know I am not as proficient with the Force as you." Nalyd agreed smugly and

replied. "I come to you because you are the only one with power that I trust. Other than you, my brother, but I figured that was a given." Drawde smirked. "Of course it was." Leoj thought for a moment before he replied with enthusiasm. "It's decided. I shall accompany you on your mission."

Nalyd's jaw dropped in disbelief. "What? You're coming with me? Why? Don't you have duties to attend to here?" Leoj laughed at Nalyd's disbelief. "That is the only way I can help. As of my duties here, I will let someone of lower status do them. They are tedious and boring anyways.

Besides, it gets boring around here. I wouldn't mind fighting a few battles next to the second best fighter in the academy!" Nalyd grinned in amusement as he replied. "I believe you are mistaken. You can not beat me! We are on equal footing when it comes to battle." Drawde spoke up

indignantly. "And me of course! Neither of you can beat me!" Leoj and Nalyd laughed, and Leoj waved his hands. "Very well, very well, point taken. Anyways, maybe I can find myself a nice woman as it seems you have!" Kiana sat up in pride and anger. "I am not his woman! I am merely

keeping my sister from harm." Leoj laughed crazily at Kiana. "Keep telling yourself that, but there isn't a woman alive that can resist we two good looking, charming men!" Drawde grumbled, "Three! We three men!." With this, Leoj threw Kiana a wink as Nalyd said warningly, "Leoj…." Leoj

grinned at his friend and waved at him again. "Understood Nalyd." Suddenly, Neera snarled out, "She is not his woman! Foolish man! I should cut you down where you stand!." She angrily spun around and stalked out of the room. Leoj looked as his guests in astonishment and asked, "Was

it something I said?" Nalyd shook his head. "I`ll explain later." Leoj nodded while replying, "Very well. Shall we get started?" Nalyd sighed in acceptance. "Very well. Pack what you need while we go get supplies." Leoj was already intent on deciding what to pack and merely nodded as Nalyd

and Kiana threw their empty containers into a trash receptacle, to be recycled into another form of container. Drawde stepped away from the wall and looked at Nalyd. "I`m coming as well. You`ll need me." Nalyd sighed in exasperation. "You too? My ship can only carry so many people!

Pretty soon I`m going to need a Corellian Freighter just to carry all the passengers!" Drawde gave him a smirk and slapped his shoulder as he passed. "You`ll manage somehow. I`m going to pack. Meet you at the hangars." Nalyd called to his back. "It`s hangar 7-C." Without turning,

Drawde threw up an hand, acknowledging that he had heard Nalyd. Sighing once again in exasperation, Nalyd and Kiana went in search of his angry apprentice.

Grunting with the effort of carrying the many crates of supplies, Nalyd grinned over at Kiana as he nodded his head sideways. "We now have five mouths to feed." Kiana smiled sweetly as she watched him gather the crates, Neera glaring at her over her master`s shoulder. Kiana let the

smile fade.

Returning to hangar 7-C, Kiana., Neera, and Nalyd caught site of Drawde and Leoj as they waited outside the hangar door. Leoj grinned in excitement. "Are we ready then? Did everyone remember to pack extra underwear?" Drawde looked at Leoj in disgust as Leoj laughed in

amusement. "It was a joke, dear Drawde." Nalyd nodded at Leoj as he entered the hangar and opened the boarding ramp, dragging the heavy crates up and into the ship. Stowing the supplies in the cargo hold he and Kiana had purchased, Nalyd stepped into the cockpit and started the

launching procedures as Leoj closed the boarding ramp and Drawde strapped himself in to an extra seat in the communications section of the ship, while Kiana, Neera, and Leoj headed towards the cockpit themselves. Sitting in the co-pilots chair, Kiana strapped herself in while Leoj did the

same in a seat behind her. Neera strapped herself in behind Nalyd. Nalyd mumbled to himself, "The quicker we're off this planet, the better.." Darth Leoj, being the only one that heard, grinned to himself and relaxed in his seat. "Where to then, old friend?" Nalyd grimly replied to Leoj's

question. "First, we get off this planet before my master discovers I was here. Once in space, we will determine our next course of action. Drawde, how is the pre-flight check sequence coming along?" Darth Drawde looked over his shoulder at his brother as he replied, "Quickly, brother. This

ship is amazing." Grinning smugly, Nalyd engaged the sub-light engines as he flew the ship through the atmosphere, breaking through the desert planet's orbit and flying through space. Turning his seat to face everyone in the cockpit, his gaze lingering on Kiana longest, he looked at each

person in the eyes. "Any ideas as to where we go next?" Leoj shook his head as he pondered the question. "If these ruins you are finding are indeed ancient, then it would be prudent to find some way of learning more about the past, wouldn't you agree?" Nalyd nodded as he frowned at

the floor, thinking but finding no answers. Suddenly Drawde spoke up. "Nalyd? If we need to learn about the past, then why don't we search for ancient holocrons?" Everyone in the cabin looked at Drawde with shock, which then formed into understanding. Nalyd quickly spoke up. "Well

done, my brother! Holocrons were something I completely overlooked." Leoj nodded his head in agreement. "As did I." Nalyd looked at Kiana with a grim look on his face. "Kiana, it is time for you to pay a part of your debt." Kiana looked at Nalyd in growing confusion. "What do I have to do?"

Kiana thought she understood what was expected of her, but the thought repulsed her, knowing it was not part of the Jedi way. "The Jedi must have a holocron or two that the students are learning from. We need them." Kiana looked at the three Sith grimly. "And how do you propose I get

those holocrons? We're lightyears away from the Jedi Academy." Without hesitation, Nalyd spoke up. "Which is why you will contact your sister, and have her meet us after shes taken the holocrons." Kiana laughed in amusement. "Eiram will never do such a thing. She is a true Jedi." Nalyd

grinned evilly. "Even Jedi have their faults, Kiana. Little Eiram will do it, because you will ask her." Kiana hated the idea. She hated it most because she knew it was true. Her little sister would do anything for her. Kiana nodded. "Very well. Where should we meet?" Nalyd looked at Leoj as

Leoj thought for a few moments. Quickly coming to a decision, Leoj nodded his head and looked at Nalyd. "Taris." Nalyd looked at Kianas beautiful green eyes and reiterated. "Taris." Swiveling his seat towards the navicomputer, he quickly punched in the coordinates that would take them to

Taris. "Darth Drawde, switch places with Kiana as she makes her transmission. Kiana, encrypt the message thoroughly, making sure there will be no traces to this ship." Nodding as she stood, she sat at the communication terminal and quickly sent an encrypted transmission to her sister,

whom she hadn't spoken with in two years.

Sitting in her room, Eiram suddenly came out of her trance at the sound of a soft beep, coming from her communication terminal. Quickly getting to her feet, she pushed the acceptance button as her computer quickly decrypted the message. Quietly, she spoke to the terminal. "This is

Eiram. Who is this?" There came a clear sigh from the hologram as the image of her sister Kiana sprang up. "It's so nice to hear your voice Eiram." Delight spread across Eiram's face. "Kiana! I haven't heard from you in forever! You told me you would keep in touch." She looked at her sister

sternly as her sister grinned at Eiram's features. She looked older. Her hair wasn't as bushy as it used to be, but she could tell it was still a golden as ever. She noticed her face had thinned, her youthful face now looking more like that of a grown woman. She sighed. "Yes. I know.

Circumstances prevented me from contacting you until now. How are you?" Eiram looked at her sister and grinned as she replied. "I'm missing you Kiana. But otherwise Im doing well. Samoht made me a Jedi Knight! He was very saddened by your absence though. I only told him that you had

something personal that you had to take care of. He didn't ask many questions, but in the end he only said that he hoped you would return soon." Kiana grinned sadly at Eiram. "I'm very glad Master Dranyam has such confidence in me. And you a Jedi Knight! Congratulations!" Eiram grinned

proudly at her older sister. "Eiram, there is something important I need you to do for me." Eiram grew serious as she looked at her sister. "Yes? What is it?" Kiana looked at her sister with a pleading look. "I need you to bring the Jedi holocrons to Taris." Eiram's mouth opened in surprise.

"You want me to steal the holocrons?" Kiana quickly shook her head. "No of course not. Merely borrow them. Please Eiram. It's very important." Eiram hesitantly nodded. "Very well. When?" Kiana looked away, as if asking confirming from another the time. "Now. As soon as possible." Eiram

looked at her sister. "Ok. I'm leaving right now." Eiram looked at her sister hesitantly before she asked, "Kiana...did you find him?" Kiana looked at her sister and quickly responded. "I'll explain when you get here. I can't wait to see you." Eiram nodded agreement. "See you soon sister." And

with that last statement, the communication terminal became still and silent.

Kiana looked over at Nalyd and silently nodded. Nalyd acknowledged as he pushed the hyper drive levers, the stars turning into streaks of light as they descended into hyperspace. Sitting back in his seat, Nalyd looked at Drawde. He yawmed and left his seat. "I`m tired. I`m going to

go find a place to sleep. That battle was crazy." Drawde retreated from the cabin and entered his sleeping quarters as Nalyd glanced at Leoj. Grinning and winking at Nalyd, Leoj stood and disappeared into the cargo hull. Nalyd spoke to his apprentice. "Neera, go to your quarters and

meditate. Attune yourself to the Force." She glared at Kiana, then nodded to Nalyd. "Yes, my master." She threw one last scathing glance at Kiana,then retreated from the cockpit, leaving Nalyd and Kiana alone. Nalyd turned to Kiana. "Tell me of your parents." Kiana looked startled as she

gazed at Nalyd's face, seeing only curiosity in his pale features. Looking at him sadly, she lowered her eyes to the floor. "My parents were strong in the Force. They were training to become Jedi when Eiram and I were very young. I don't remember much, as like I said, I was very young. But

they loved each other. Then one evening, my mother heard an untrue rumor that my father had been unfaithful to her. In a fit of jealousy, she picked up his lightsaber and killed him. Without a word or even a look at us, she left. We never heard from her again. We assumed she became a

Sith, like you. That same night, two Jedi arrived at our home as Eiram and I cried over the body of our father, and took us away with them to the academy. We worked hard ever since to become Jedi, like our father." Nalyd looked out the viewport as he listened, his face calm. Slowly turning

to Kiana, he looked at her with a hint of compassion. "Do you realize how close you are to walking the path of the Dark Side? Being in the presence of four Sith." Kiana nodded slowly as she looked at him, seeing a similar pain etched across his face. "Yes. I understand. But I will not become

my mother. I will not walk the path of the Dark side." Nalyd looked away as he said quietly, "Some things are unavoidable." He continued to look out the viewport as Kiana stared at him. After a while, she stood up and headed toward her quarters. Before leaving the cockpit, she glanced

once more at Nalyd's face to see a single tear slide down his cheek.


End file.
